Comments on: Behind the Power and Beauty of Northern Lights

By: Kootstar

Kootstar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:30:29 +0000

I do not know about Mars view, but the aurora is basically the same N. pole and S. pole areas, the size, activity and longevity, from what my readings have told me. Hope you get to see some beauties like I have. There is nothing I can say to explain the feeling of watching that sky dance and glow in light and color,so much that you could read the fine print, IF you could just get your eyes off that sky!

By: Bridh Hancock

Bridh Hancock — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:59:00 +0000

"This pattern consists of a period of reconnection, followed by rapid auroral brightening and rapid expansion of the aurora toward the poles."

This seems like quantum maechanics in action.

Q: Can this activity been seen, say, from Mars?
Q: Is there a South Pole equivalent?

By: alphonso richardson

alphonso richardson — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:27:18 +0000

Sorry M. Didn't claim to be an expert, but it can take a while for people to get their head around somethings. Plus, I DID say that if I was wrong, for someone to correct me if I was.
Maybe you could proffer an explanation to Ignoramous that makes sense, not just scientifically, but in lay terms for clarity.

I'm (seriously) all for those with better understanding to communicate scientific ideas, as not everyone comes to the papers or these forums with assumed knowledge.

Places like these are perfect for this (Thanks Fraser, et al)

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:17:12 +0000

I wonder if the secondary phenomena such as "coronal loops" and "reconnection events" that occur during SUNSPOTS can now be more accurately predicted by using the Earth's changes in Aurora activity? I bet the pattern of these emissions will be very more similar than they are expecting and lead to a better understanding of why radio waves are especially the most effected by these emmisions.

Are radio photons emmited by distant stars and novas during our high sun spot activity (distorted via the solar wind), could this lead to even more sensitivity to distortion by localized Aurora which charges particle via electromagnetic rebounding…thus a cummulative effect to a charged radio photon particle that leads to greater radio wave disruption…

a field of distorted radio photons trapped in earths atmosophere that were a process of sunspot, solar wind and magnetossphere reaction

By: Magneto

Magneto — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:19:06 +0000

… a bit like claiming that a re-arrangement of contour lines, releases energy… instead of describing the actual physical process…. an earthquake. As Hannes AlfvÃ©n wrote:

"The most important criticism of the "merging" mechanism of energy transfer is due to Heikkila [40] who, with increasing strength, has demonstrated that it is wrong"

See: W. J. Heikkila, Astrophys. Space Sci., vol. 23, p. 261, 1973.

Hannes AlfvÃ©n, "Double Layers and Circuits in Astrophysics", IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Vol. PS-14 No.6 (Dec 1986)

By: alphonso richardson

alphonso richardson — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:52:22 +0000

You're right – contour lines don't actually exist, but the physical quantity they represent – physical height relative to a known baseline(usually sea level) does.
Likewise (someone correct me if I'm wrong, please), the strength of magnetic flux, which the lines represent does exist. Field lines, like contour lines, simply provide a visual medium to convay physical quantities or effects.
I think.

By: Ignoramus

Ignoramus — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:37:26 +0000

"Magnetic reconnection releases the energy stored within these stretched magnetic field lines, flinging charged particles back toward the Earth's atmosphere"
Magnetic field lines do not physically exist. they are like contour lines on a map. How can they fling particles?

By: Sasori

Sasori — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:06:58 +0000

Lol THEMIS. Probably Dr Angelopoulos came up with that cause its a funny Greek name and he is Greek too.